


Mudslide

by Mcusekat



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Fake AH Crew, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 03:25:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5190341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mcusekat/pseuds/Mcusekat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a mudslide closes their route back into Los Santos, Gavin and a newly recruited Ryan must spend the night together in a hotel off Los Santos until the roads open back up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mudslide

**Author's Note:**

> Fun Fact: I came up with the premise for this fic after driving home from LA and getting trapped in Mojave because a mudslide closed off the road. Unfortunately for me I was a late arriver and all the hotels were booked so I got stuck sleeping in the back of a car in the parking lot to a Dennys.

  It was a nice day out that day; overcast, a little drizzly. It’d been raining a lot the last few days, and everything around them was dewy and damp. There was a thick bed of autumn leaves fallen to the forest floor below them that squelched with every step, and the trees filtered out the harsh light, leaving only skinny beams through the leaves. It was beautiful, like a movie, and Ryan would have liked to enjoy it.

  But instead Geoff stuck him and Gavin on a pickup job.

  Geoff told him that this was a crew they’d never worked with before, and that they should be on guard at all times. The woods had lots of cover, and Ryan was trying his damndest to keep on guard but Gavin, reckless invincible Gavin, decided that that was stupid and that they’d be fine. Thus, he charged ahead carelessly, speedwalking through the damp leaves. Ryan quickened his pace to match Gavin’s, staying carefully behind him.

  They reached the cabin near noon. It was old and rickety, soaked through from the rain and morphed from a million rains before it. The roof was fallen in and everything was leaned inwards from years of neglect. In the doorway, partially buried by wet leaves, was a duffel bag. Gavin knelt down and sifted through it, making sure everything was accounted for.

  “Good?” Ryan asked.

  “Yep.”

  Gavin turned on his heel to head back to the car. Ryan watched him a moment before following.

  Ryan had grown to like the crew in the limited time he’d been with them. It was ridiculous, sure, but Ryan tipped it to the fact that the interactions with them had been one of the only human interactions he’d had in months that didn’t end in their death.

  Still, he barely knew the people, including the British lad. Gavin was scared of him, Ryan thought. And people in this business didn’t make friends easily anyways.

  Gavin was silent as they made their way back through the forest. Ryan took that oppurtunity to look around, admire the scenery. They were fairly deep in the woods then. It was a mile walk to and from the car, to ensure they didn’t get busted. The path branched off from a busy highway going into Los Santos, a road frequented mostly by people who didn’t like the super highway. This place was mostly untouched by the large crowds. The cabin was actually an old hunting cabin, abandoned long ago. Geoff had found it on accident, apparently, while stumbling around the forest drunk after crashing his car on the side of the road.

  They reached the car and Ryan put the duffel in the trunk. He climbed into the drivers seat and looked over at Gavin. The lad had his arms crossed over his chest and was staring forward with a frown. Ryan wondered if he should say something, but decided against it.

  They were halfway home when his and Gavin’s phones went off with an emergency weather report.

  “Mudslide,” Gavin read. “The roads closed.”

  “Which road?”

  “This one,” Gavin said.

  Ryan couldn’t turn back now, and he couldn’t recall an alternate route into the city, so he drove a little further, praying the emergency broadcast was false.

  But, of course, it wasn’t. There was a slew of mud coating the road, waist deep, and several stalled vehicles in the middle of it. People sat on the side of the road, beside their mud covered cars, looking very inconvenienced by mother nature.

  “Fuck me,” Ryan said, leaning back in his seat with a defeated sigh.

  Gavin looked over at him. “What’re we going to do?”

  “Turn around, I guess. It’s the only thing we can do. You have Google Maps on your phone, right?”

  “No, it’s an IPhone.”

  Ryan dug around in his pocket and tossed Gavin his own phone. “The password is 7491. Find an alternate route.”

  “Ooh, the Vagabond’s phone. Do you have any nudes on here?” Gavin teased.

  Ryan looked over just in time to see him tap the gallery button. He quickly grabbed the phone away before directing it to the maps app.

  “You do, don’t you?” Gavin said, wide eyed.

  “I don’t, I just don’t like nosy brits snooping through my crap,” Ryan said, placing the phone back in his hand.

  After a moment of silence as Gavin explored the map, he looked up and gave Ryan an odd look.

  “You know, the windscreen isn’t tinted,” Gavin said offhandedly, but he was giving Ryan a curious look.

  Ryan wasn’t sure what he meant for a moment, before he realized he still had the mask on. There was a whole gaggle of people in front of them. A good distance away, sure, but if one of them happened to glance over it would be incredibly suspicious, and creepy, to see a man with a skull mask sitting in a car. Especially one who’s been featured on the news several times toting a big gun and covered in blood.

  He’d have preferred to keep the mask on, but he wasn’t going to argue. He tugged the mask off over his head and shoved it under the seat behind him. When he looked back up, Gavin was staring at him with an odd look on his face.

  “Hmm, you look younger than I thought,” he said.

  “Is that a good thing?”

  “Yeah. How old are you?”

  Ryan wondered if this information was too personal to give away. “30s,” he said simply.

  Gavin seemed to consider something, then nodded and looked away. “I-, Alright. I couldn’t find an alternate way but I found a hotel.”

  “Seriously?”

  Gavin shrugged, offering Ryan’s phone back to him. “We’re on a back road as it is. They’ll probably have it cleared up tomorrow, and the route that goes around would take a day to get across, especially with the increased traffic. And I don’t want to sit in a car for that long.”

  Ryan scanned the map for anything, but Gavin was right. He locked his phone and tossed it down. “Alright.”

  The nearest lodging was a couple miles away. There was a line to get rooms, and it took 30 minutes before they even reached the counter. Gavin paid and they immediately took their few possessions and headed out.

  “Geoff said he’s not wasting the helicopter gas to come get us,” Gavin said as they entered the room. He shoved his phone in his pocket and crossed his arms.

  Ryan chuckled. “I figured he wouldn’t. If the roads aren’t cleared up tomorrow we’ll just drive around. Shouldn’t take too long.”

  Gavin groaned. “I don’t want to be in a car that long, though.”

  “Well it’s either that or stay here, Gavin. I can’t will away the mud.”

  Gavin gave him a sour look before turning his gaze back to the ceiling.

  Ryan sighed and moved past the main area to the bathroom. He pulled his hair out of the bun and combed through it before pulling back up into a ponytail. He felt tired already, even though it was barely past noon. The day had been way too long, and he wished he could be back home in his own bed, sleeping through the weather.

  He washed his face and pulled off his jacket and bullet proof vest. He started disarming, too, uncovering all his weapons and laying them out onto the counter in row.

  “It’s raining again,” Gavin said.

  Ryan turned around and looked out the window where Gavin stood. Sure enough there was a light sprinkling of rain coming down. The people sat around the parking lot were cursing and moving indoors, back into their cars or into the already crowded lobby.

  “So, what’s your name?” Gavin asked, turning around to face him.

  Ryan was a little taken aback by the question. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Well, we’re friends now, aren’t we? Can’t go around calling you Vagabond all the time. It’s a bit of a mouth full...”

  Ryan watched him warily for a moment. “Ryan,” he finally said. “But don’t tell anyone, alright? Everything that happens this today and tomorrow stays between us.”

  Gavin grinned. “Got it.”

  Ryan nodded, then moved back to the counter. He carefully stored his gear in a sheet, then shoved it under the bed. He grabbed the duffel bag off the table and put it underneath too.

  “What’re you doing?” Gavin asked.

  “Hiding the weapons. There’s a giant window there, and we’re on the first floor.”

  “There’s curtains.”

  “It’s precautionary .”

  Gavin nodded. The room fell silent, neither of them sure of what to say. Ryan realized then that this was the first time he’d ever been with Gavin alone, without anyone else. He sat on the end of his bed and looked over, to see Gavin staring at him.

  “So Ryan, do you have bookends?”

  Ryan frowned. “No, why?”

  Gavin shrugged. “I dunno, conversation starter,” he said.

  “A conversation about what? Bookends?”

  “I didn’t see you coming up with a conversation topic,” Gavin said, crossing his arms.

  Ryan couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay. Do you have a phone charger? We should keep our phones charged, in case something happens or if one of the guys call.”

  “No? I don’t bring my phone charger with me everywhere,” Gavin said.

  Ryan sighed. “Alright, lets walk down to the gas station then. We should get things to eat for dinner anyways.”

  “Alright.”

  Gavin was watching Ryan with a curious look. Ryan ignored him, instead heading to look at himself in the mirror. He looked presentable enough, not like he’d just walked through the woods in search of black market weaponry.

  “Are we going now?” Gavin asked.

  “The sooner the better,” Ryan said. “It’s getting dark already.”

  Gavin nodded and joined him at the mirror, fixing his shirt and pushing his hand through his sandy blond hair a couple times before announcing that he was ready.

  It was a short walk down the street. The sky was overcast, and it was getting dark as night drew near. It would have been a nice walk had there not been people scattered everywhere from the road block.

  “Look at everyone,” Gavin remarked as they passed a car with a man sleeping in the back seat. “It’s a bit post-apocalyptic out here, innit? Never realized how busy this road was until now. Makes me wonder how secure our deals really are.”

  Ryan shrugged. “Unless someone’s walking a mile into the woods I think our deals are fine.”

  “You never know,” Gavin said. A breeze blew through and he wrapped his arms around himself. “Feel bad for the people sleeping in their cars.”

  “Are you cold?” Ryan asked. Gavin looked like he was shivering, and he wasn’t wearing a jacket, just a button up with a thin undershirt.

  “I’m fine.” Gavin glanced up at him. “Well maybe I’m a little chilly,” he said with a suggestive lilt to his tone.

  Ryan gave him an odd look. “What’re you doing?”

  “I was wondering what you’d do if I’d say yes,” Gavin said.

  Ryan raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know, probably call you an idiot for not bringing a jacket.”

  Gavin looked startled. “No you wouldn’t have! You’re too lovely to call me names.”

  It was Ryan’s turn to be startled. “I’m lovely? That’s a first.”

  “You are. You’re nicer than the other guys. I mean, they don’t really bother me with their teasing, but it’s nice to not have everybody in the room laughing at me every once in awhile.”

  Ryan wasn’t sure how to reply to that. “Oh,” he said.

  Gavin seemed to notice the sudden change in tone, and he looked suddenly uncomfortable.

  “There’s the gas station,” Ryan said, and Gavin looked relieved at the change in topic. “Did you bring your wallet, or do you want me to pay?”

  “I have my wallet. I’ll pay for you too, if you’d like?” Gavin said.

  “You don’t have to, I have money,” Ryan said. He nudged Gavin’s shoulder with his own. “Thanks though.”

  Ryan wasn’t picky about food, so he just grabbed the first few things he saw that he though might fill him up enough, then searched the store for Gavin.

  He found Gavin at the coffee machine, pouring in a container of creamer.

  “Hey Rye,” he said as he tossed one container into the trashcan and opened another.

  “You got everything?” Ryan asked.

  “Just about,” he said. He glanced over at the cashier, then grabbed a candy off the rack behind him and shoved it into Ryan’s jacket pocket.

  “Woah, what’re you doing?” Ryan asked.

  “Shh,” Gavin said, glancing back at the cashier, who was sitting boredly behind the counter. He grabbed another candy and a handful of creamers and shoved them in. He stepped back to see if it was obvious, then nodded in approval. “I’m ready, let’s go.”

  They paid and got out with no issue. Once they got back to the hotel, Ryan emptied his pockets on the table. “Why’d you steal, you have plenty of money?”

  Gavin was unloading his pockets onto the table too. He reached down his pants and pulled out a tall bottle of cheap wine. Ryan stared at it a moment, wondering what that was for.

  He shrugged. “I dunno, it’s more exciting to steal.”

  “While I appreciate drama as much as the next guy, we’re a bit landlocked right now, and I don’t think we could have got away if cops were involved,” Ryan said.

  “Police called to a shoplifting? Yeah right, especially in this mess.”

  Ryan still felt uneasy, but Gavin spoke again.

  “Don’t be so paranoid, that wasn’t my first shoplifting. My specialty is thieving.”

  Ryan sighed. “I’m just pent up from everything today. I mean, I’d prefer to not be stuck in this shitty hotel room with a bag of guns under my bed and no escape route.”

  Gavin sat at the table and dumped his crap out of the bag. Ryan set his out carefully, being sure to not shake up the soda. He’d gone healthier, a sandwhich and a diet coke. Gavin had grabbed a bag of chips, a candy bar (not including the stolen ones), an energy drink, and a coffee. Gavin didn’t mention the bottle of wine, so Ryan didn’t either.

  “So, tell me about yourself, Ryan,” Gavin said as he opened up his chips.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Anything? Do you have any pets? What kind of music do you listen to?” Gavin asked. He leaned forward, interested.

  “I have no pets and I like all kinds of music.”

  Gavin groaned, tossing his hands up in the air. “That’s so vague! Don’t cop out, just answer the bloody question,” he groaned.

  Ryan chuckled. “What’s so vague about it? I really have no pets, and I really like all kinds of music! I barely listen to music, and I have no preference? What do you want me to do, tell you every pet I’ve owned in the past?”

  “Yes!”

  “My sister was allergic to dogs so all we had growing up was cats. We had one cat named Pauline when I was born, then when I turned 15 we got another named Franklin. When I was in college I had a cat named Edgar. Are you pleased?”

  “What about music? If I looked on your phone, what would be in your music library?” Gavin asked.

  “Nothing, I use music apps.”

  Gavin scowled. “Okay, what Pandora stations do you use?”

  “Mostly instrumental stuff. I only really listen to music while I’m falling asleep or reading.”

  Gavin looked thoughtful for a second. “So what do you do for fun then?”

  “Nothing really. Read, watch TV, play video games.”

  Gavin perked up at the last one. “What do you play, console, PC?”

  “PC mostly, but I’ve been playing Xbox a lot recently,” Ryan said.

  Gavin grinned. “You should play with us sometime, if you’re any good of course. We have game nights after heists. We just order pizza and play video games until everyone falls asleep, to wind down and whatnot.”

  Ryan was hesitant of the offer. He wasn’t really that close with the other guys, or Gavin for that matter.

  “Yeah, maybe someday,” Ryan said noncommitally.

  “Aw don’t be like that,” Gavin said.

  “Like what? How am I being?”

  “Like ‘sure, I might.’ Yes or no?”

  “You want me to decide now? Like, less than a minute after the offer? Can’t I RSVP at a later date or something?”

  Gavin scowled. “Sure, whatever. Don’t say no, though.”

  Ryan raised his brow. “Wow, so I don’t have a choice in the matter?”

  “No, you have the illusion of choice.”

  “Okay then, fine.”

  Gavin grinned. “You’re a really fun person to be around. I can’t believe I was scared of you at one point.”

  “You were scared of me?”

  “Well, yeah. You’ve made quite the name for yourself. I’d be foolish to not be scared of you, honestly.”

  “Kinda wish you still were,” Ryan replied.

  Gavin grinned. “Oh, sod off.”

  Ryan grinned too. The room felt kind of still, and Ryan felt a shift in mood. Gavin was staring at him, a slight grin on his lips. When he noticed Ryan staring back and blushed and looked back down at his food.

  Ryan suddenly realized what was happening. Gavin had a crush on him.

  Maybe he was being narcissistic, but Ryan was fairly good at reading body image, and he knew what the blush and look away meant.

  He was jarred from his thoughts by his phone ringing. He pulled it out of his coat pocket and answered it.

  “Hello?” he asked. He knew it was one of the crew, as they were the only ones who had his number.

  “Hey, Gavin’s not answering his phone. Is everything alright?”

  Jack. “Yeah, everythings fine. He didn’t bring his charger so his phone died.”

  Hesitation. “Can I talk to him?”

  Oh yeah, reality. “Yeah hang on.” He offered the phone to Gavin. “Jack wants to talk to you.”

  Gavin frowned before talking it.

  Ryan looked down on his food and gave Gavin his privacy as he talked on the phone. It’d been nice to be normal for awhile, with Gavin talking to him like he would any of the other guys. Jack not trusting him had been a bit of a slap in the face, and suddenly he wasn’t looking forward to being back in town, having to live up to his reputation.

  After a moment Gavin handed the phone back to him. “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey. The roads should be cleared tomorrow. We’ll call you when they start letting people through, we want you guys back as soon as possible. Do you think you’ll still be up to doing the heist tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, I will be.”

  “Good. Geoff might still postpone it, though, just to be on the safe side. Will you have enough phone battery to get the call?”

  “I have my charger with me.”

  “Okay. Just keep an ear out for the call. It’ll come this phone. I’ll let you get back to dinner now. Talk to you later, Vagabond.”

  “Ryan.” Ryan felt a nervous pit in his stomach, but he felt no regret.

  Gavin looked up at him, a little surprised.

  “Excuse me?” Jack asked.

  “My name, it’s Ryan.”

  Gavin was smiling now.

  “Oh. Are you okay with me calling you that in front of everyone else?”

  “Yeah, that’s fine. I want to tell them too.”

  “Okay, that’s awesome! Thank you for telling me, really.”

~

  Ryan felt like a weight was lifted off his chest. The feeling of not having to be so closely guarded all the time was a nice one, and he was surprised at how little guilt he felt for telling Jack.

  Gavin emerged from the bathroom in his undershirt and a pair of boxers. His messy hair was flat and damp with water, and he looked refreshed.

  “Showers free if you want to get in,” Gavin said. “There’s a clean towel on the shelf next to the toilet.”

  “Okay,” Ryan said. He rose from his place on the bed and headed to the shower. It was still warm and steamy from Gavin, and the mirror was a bit fogged up. He wiped the fog off the mirror until he could see his face. He stared at himself in the mirror for a second. He took a deep breath, stretched, then looked at himself again. He looked younger, healthier. He smiled before turning to the shower and climbing in.

  When he was finished he joined Gavin in the main room. He was watching TV quietly, wrapped up in the duvet. When Ryan walked in he glanced up and smiled. “They’ve got HBO here. Gone Girl is on.”

  Ryan looked over at the TV. “Is it any good?”

  “I dunno, I caught it in the middle.”

  Ryan shrugged and moved to the mirror. His hair was wet, stuck to the back of his neck. He combed it out with the flimsy complimentary comb, then pulled it up into a ponytail.

  “Why do you grow your hair so long?” Gavin asked.

  “I dunno, just always have. Why, do you not like it or something?”

  “No, I like it. I like long hair on men,” Gavin said. Ryan turned to him and smirked.

  “Something to pull on, right?”

  Gavin’s eyes went wide. “What? No! I just think it looks nice…”

  Ryan grinned. “Well thank you then. I think your hair is very nice looking too.”

  “Thank you. Now, would you like to break open that wine I got. It’s not the best, but it’ll still get us bevved.”

 So that’s what the wine was for. Ryan didn’t usually like alcohol, but he knew Gavin’s aim. “Absolutely.”

~

  “You know, I can’t really ask people out unless I’m boozed up.”

  “Is that so?”

  Ryan’s mind was swimming, but both he and Gavin were coherant enough at that moment. Still, Gavin was swaying in his seat and he was being handsy with Ryan. They were on one bed, watching TV and balancing the half empty bottle between them. They were drinking out of the complimentary plastic cups from the sink. They didn’t hold much per glass, so they had to refill often.

  “Yeah. I was, uh, wondering if you’d like to date?” Gavin drew his words out, slurring occasionally. Ryan noticed his accent was thicker when he was drunk, and he felt a fond feeling in his chest.

  “I’d like that. Dating,” Ryan said.

  “Where are you from?” Gavin asked suddenly.

  “Like, state?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Georgia. Why?”

  “You’ve got an accent when you’re drunk. Like a, what do you call? Hillbilly?” After a moment he added, “I think it’s cute. Your accent.”

  Ryan grinned at him. “Yeah?”

  Gavin nodded, then leaned in closer to him. “You’re a very cute person. I can’t imagine how anyone could find you scary, not anymore.”

  “Then I’m not doing my job right, am I?” Ryan said.

  “Don’t make jokes while I’m trying to compliment you.”

  Ryan grinned, then reached up to push a hand through Gavin’s hair. He pulled the other in closer, closing the distance between their lips. For a messy, drunk kiss it was still incredible. Ryan was slow, careful, while Gavin had an entire other thing on his brain. He was rough, heady, and his fingers reached out to tangle in Ryan’s hair.

  Ryan didn’t try to stop him when Gavin climbed into his lap, or when he shoved his hands up Ryan’s shirt, and Gavin didn’t stop him when he shoved Gavin’s shirt off, or pulled Gavin’s hips down to meet his own.

~

  Waking up the next morning proved to be a challenge. Gavin was apparently a cuddler, and he was clinging to Ryan like he was afraid he’d leave. His arms were wrapped around his waist from behind, pulling him close.

  He hadn’t gotten so drunk the previous night that he’d forgotten what they’d done. In fact, it was all very vivid, and he was happy for it.

  “Gavin, wake up,” Ryan said for the umpteenth time.

  Gavin stirred, but groaned and buried his face further into their shared pillow.

  “Jack called, the roads are open. Let’s go home.”

  “Sod off,” Gavin said, burying his face in their shared pillow.

  Ryan stood up, shrugging Gavin’s sleeping body off of him. Gavin protested with a drawn out groan, but Ryan still moved to locate his clothes. Most of it was still folded on the counter where he left it, but his shirt and boxers had been flung aside.

  Gavin got up after a moment, joining Ryan at the counter. “Rye, about last night… Do you remember anything?”

  “I remember everything.”

  Gavin nodded before continuing. “Do you regret it? Like, saying yes to my offer, or, you know..?”

  “No, not at all.”

  Gavin smiled. “Really?”

  Ryan then leaned in and kissed him. It was slower, gentler, a fond press of lips rather than the hot needy push of last night. “Really,” Ryan said with a note of finality as he pulled away.

~

  All in all, not much changed after they entered the relationship. Gavin still asked him weirdly invasive questions, still treated him like any of the guys. Ryan was thankful for that. He wasn’t sure if a normal relationship would work for him, not in their line of business.

  Along with their relationship, the whole crew dynamic changed. After Ryan opened up to them, he found he fit into their group exceptionally well. He wasn’t spilling every secret to them, but the whole crew had secrets they kept from even each other, so he wasn’t too concerned. It was enough for him to have friends, someone he could confide in, someone to make sure he didn’t die alone in an alley like he’d thought he would. For now, that was enough for him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please give kudos/comment if you liked it, and follow me on tumblr at [Mcusekat](http://desertsongs.co.vu/), to see more of me. (I take prompts)


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